About Us

Who are we?

The Fair Standards Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation formed toward the end of 2015 to strengthen the voice in Europe of companies which believe that the licensing of standards-essential patents (SEPS) required in so many modern products today must be done on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (FRAND). This is important because industry standards are part of our everyday lives ensuring that there is compatibility and interoperability of components and products we all use, all of the time (i.e. smartphones, tablets, cars etc.). These standards also allow for the innovation which will be behind turning the Internet of Things into a reality for millions of people across Europe and the world.

What we do

We are helping to shape Europe’s economic future by advocating a more modern, open and collaborative approach when it comes to accessing essential-patents needed to innovate the next generation of high-tech products. Put another way, when it comes to key patent licensing to keep our modern world turning, the Fair Standards Alliance believes that patent owners are entitled to compensation proportionate to the value they contribute – no more and no less. This is the vision for Europe’s future, which will stimulate creativity, innovation and jobs. Further details on the key principles promoted by the Alliance can be found here.

Members

Our membership is broad and diverse, ranging from multinationals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and coming from different levels of the value chain across a diversity of industry sectors.

Our members are united in the view that, while SEP holders should be fairly compensated, unfair and unreasonable SEP licensing practices pose a significant risk to the innovation eco-system, create barriers to entry for new market entrants, threaten to stifle the full potential for economic growth across major industry sectors, and ultimately harm consumer choice.